Dental implants are great restorations for those missing teeth. Because the implants are permeant restorations, you don't have to worry about dentures or removable prosthetics. Dental implants help you maintain bone density in your jaw. And, the false teeth that are affixed to the implants look very realistic and can be cared for just like your natural teeth.

As you can see, there are many benefits of dental implants. Before you get one, however, you should familiarize yourself with the different implant types that are out there.

Endosteal vs Subperiosteal

Endosteal implants are arguably the most common type of implant. These implants are usually made of titanium and shaped like small screws. These implants go directly into the jawbone. However, only patients with healthy jawbone can get endosteal implants. If you do not have enough bone to support endosteal implants, you may need to get a bone graft or undergo bone augmentation.

If you don't want to undergo a bone graft or bone augmentation, then you could get subperiosteal implants. Instead of being placed directly into the jaw bone, subperiosteal implants are placed just beneath the gum tissue. The implant posts that hold the false teeth rest on a metal framework, and the metal framework wraps around the jawbone just below the gum tissue.

Screw-Retained vs Cement-Retained Implants

While the implant itself is hidden below the gumline, you will have an abutment and false tooth above the gumline. This false tooth can either be attached to the abutment with a screw or with dental cement.

One benefit of screw-retained restorations is that they can easily be removed if they need to be repaired or if your doctor needs to examine the gum tissue beneath the false tooth. Cement-retained restorations cannot be removed easily without the false tooth being damaged.

Another issue for cement-retained restorations is excess dental cement, which can act as a medium for the colonization of oral bacteria. However, your doctor can opt for an opaque dental cement over a transparent one to mitigate this problem. With opaque dental cement, it will be easier for your dentist to see and remove excess cement.

Although screw-retained implants seem to have the edge, some patients prefer cement-retained implants. Cement-retained implants don't need an access channel for a screw, so they tend to look nicer and more natural in their appearance.

Contact a dentist in your area today to learn more about the different types of dental implants that you can get.